Thursday, September 01, 2016

Bethesda Theatre for sale again

The historic Bethesda Theatre at 7719 Wisconsin Avenue is back on the market. Currently operating as Bethesda Blues & Jazz Supper Club, the streamline art deco movie house can be yours for $9,000,000, according to a new online sale listing. The club narrowly escaped a foreclosure auction in June, that was triggered by one of its own investors.

But now it is for sale again two months later. The supper club business itself is also being offered for sale at an asking price of $1.5 million.

21 comments:

Cynthia G. Wagner said...

Personally, I'd like to see it go back to being a performance venue only.

Anonymous said...

In the interest of full disclosure , Robert should disclose his personal bias against some of the owners.

Poppy said...

I don't believe we need an operating theater in Bethesda when New York City is such a short plane ride away.

Robert Dyer said...

5:58: That's a bizarre, backwards statement to say the least. The actual issue was that another, competing local website reported on the woes of the theater this year without disclosing its publisher is one of the investors, and therefore has a financial interest in the theater.

What does that have to do with me? Zero.

Betsy said...

I feel like this theater is in a bad location. If it were in Bethesda row next to landmark theater it might have survived.

Now it's off of busy Wisconsin, any walking traffic is just to get from point A to point B, parking is not obvious even though it's right around the corner (Cheltenham garage is practically in the residential neighborhood), not much around if (surrounded by car dealerships and an apartment building), etc.

Sad.

Anonymous said...

Eat shit Dyer.

Anonymous said...

poppy is a dooooosh!

Peter said...

Re: Betsy.....ummmm,, it's been in the same place since it was built. Just that a lot of other stuff has been built/renovated/grown around it since then.

Curt Shackelford said...

Will the jazz club still operate as usual or does this mean it's closing it's doors? Sorry me no understand real estate terminology:-)

Anonymous said...

Robert you should rent / buy for a more formal filming location for Tarnation Bob - have you ever considered? I would be happy to be your broker on the deal!

Robert Dyer said...

Curt, I believe the club business still has some more years on its lease, so they could keep going if the theater changes hands.

Robert Dyer said...

7:55: If I had $9 million, I'd turn it back into a movie theater.

Anonymous said...

8:33AM That would make a real nice gold plated sewer.

Anonymous said...

Maybe iPic could open a theater there.

Anonymous said...

And if you had $9 to your name you could afford yourself a sandwich instead of eating chips 24/7

Anonymous said...

11:48am If you had $9 to your name, I doubt you'd be trolling a local journalist all day.

Anonymous said...

The club seems to operate at capacity most nights it's open, so the location seems fine. People ask for directions to the lot all the time, but the lot is usually full. A lot of people seem to take Metro or walk as well. It's hard to see how another similar venture will survive in this space if this one cannot.

Anonymous said...

Yeah, not really great stuff around it suitable for a live music theater to thrive.

Anonymous said...

Would a movie theater in that spot survive - you think there's a business model there for a $9m + buildout and operations movie theater?

Anonymous said...

And 12:11 wouldn't have to feel the need to defend his favorite local blogger all day either.

Anonymous said...

The only way to make it work is to change the buildings around it. However, I would consider heavily consider changing the acts. Compete with Filmore. Bring in the bigger names. Think Silver Spring for the surroundings. Car dealerships don't cut it.